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Coming-soon & pre-launch pages

Purpose: Build a high-converting pre-launch / coming-soon page that captures a waitlist. This is the most common Program Edge inbound ("clean modern coming-soon page to build hype and collect email signups"), so it's worth a tight, repeatable spec.

Harvest / review: 2026-06 — Benchmarks: good pre-launch waitlists convert cold traffic at 8–20%.

The one-screen spec

A coming-soon page has exactly one job: capture the contact. Everything serves that.

Element Rule
Headline One specific, outcome-driven line. Names the thing and the moment ("The first drop is almost here"), not a vague slogan.
One action above the fold A single email (or email+SMS) field and one button. No nav, no "learn more", no competing links.
Launch window Always show one. A countdown to a concrete date is strongest; even "Summer 2026" beats an open-ended "coming soon."
Social proof A live signup counter ("Join 200+ on the list") or referral position. Social proof can lift conversion meaningfully (cited up to ~270%). Add once numbers aren't embarrassing.
Imagery Real product shot, a painterly/branded illustration, or nothing (type-led). Never a generic stock photo — it's the biggest single conversion-killer here.
Brand feel Bold-minimal, expressive type, tight palette. The page is the brand's first impression — make it feel "expensive." See visual-design-and-editorial.md.

Patterns that convert

  • One field, one button. Every extra field drops completion. Ask for email only; add SMS only if the drop strategy needs it.
  • Countdown timer to the drop — converts the urgency lever (see drop-marketing-and-launch.md) into a visible element.
  • Reward the signup — promise early access + launch-day discount right at the field; it raises perceived value of joining.
  • Success state that keeps going — after signup, offer a share/referral action (move them up the list) instead of a dead "thanks."
  • Pair the page with a launch moment — the page + a launch video + coordinated creator reposts in hour one is the amplification pattern.
  • Mobile-first — most traffic is phone; the field + button must be thumb-reachable and the type must hold at 375px.

Anti-patterns

Avoid Why
Generic stock hero image Single biggest conversion-killer on pre-launch pages
"Coming soon" with no date Removes the urgency lever
Multi-field forms / asking for name+phone+email Each field cuts completion
Nav bar / multiple CTAs Splits the one action; this page should have no exits but the form
Empty social-proof ("Join 3 people") Showing a tiny number hurts; hide the counter until it helps

Program Edge build recipe (static, deployable)

Static one-pager (Cloudflare Pages, Victoria's stack) with: expressive display + mono type, near-black or warm-off-white field, oversized headline, countdown JS, single email capture wired to a list provider (Formspree fastest for spec builds; Mailchimp/Beehiiv/Klaviyo for real), success state, optional signup counter. Reusable as a template — parameterize brand name, city, accent color, drop date. See live reference build: program-edge-proposals/streetwear-coming-soon/.

Sources

Agent hint: Demand mechanics behind the page → drop-marketing-and-launch.md. No photos for the hero → garments-without-photos.md.